Hbzekiah e



E. DEPP. Street-Oar Propeller.

No. 227,4I7 Patented May 11, 1880.

Witnesses UNirE TATES PATENT STREET-CAR PROPELL-E R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,417, dated May 11, 1880.

Application filed October 18, 1879.

provement in Street-(Jar Propellers, which improvement is fully described in the following specification and annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a street-car provided with my propelling device. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same.

The nature of my invention consists, first, in the combination, witha street-car or other wheeled vehicle, of cylinders for receiving mixed compressed air and steam, acompressedair reservoir, a boiler for generating steam, and devices for mixing the steam and air outside the boiler, whereby air and steam mixed in close proximity to the working-cylinders and outside of the boiler can be employed for moving the vehicle; second, in the combination, with a street-car or other wheeled vehicle,-of cylinders for receiving mixed compressed air and steam, a steam-boiler, a compressed-air reservoir, an air supplying and compressing pump having a steam-cylinder connected with it, and suitable devices for mixing the steam and air outside the boiler and in close proximity to the working-cylinders, as presently described; third, in a device whereby the exhaust of the air-compres sor is utilized for aiding in propelling the car; fourth, in a device whereby air which is compressed in the cylinders of the propelling-engine, when this engine is reversed and before the car is stopped, is stored up and again utilized for aiding in propelling the car fifth, in the combination of the aforesaid several devices for producing an improved mechanism for propelling cars or other vehicles withcompressed air and steam combined, or with either compressed air or steam separately and in variable proportions, at the pleasure of the operator; sixth, in several combinations of pipes and cocks, hereinafter described and specifically claimed, whereby the supply of steam and compressed air is delivered, either separately or combined, to the working-cylinder of the air-pump and to the cylinders of the propelling mechanism, and whereby said supply can be regulated at pleasure.

' In the drawings, A represents a car-body; B, the driving-wheels; G, a steam-boiler; D, a steam or air cylinder; E, an air-pump or aircompressor operated from the cylinder D, and F F steam-cylinders for propelling the car.

The steam-boiler O is located on the front platform, and may be heated with any suitable fuel, the smoke of which escapes through a pipe, 0.

A steam pipe, 0, leads from the boiler through the floor of the car toward the cylinder D, and near said cylinder unites with a pipe, g, which furnishes compressed air to the cylinder D from reservoir Gr, fastened below the car on both sides. A cock, 0 serves to cut off the steam-supply, and a cock, 9, the air-supply, said cocks being operated from the front platform by means of handlevers g and suitable connecting-rods. The contents of one of the reservoirs G are confined by a stop-cock, 1 until the other reservoir is exhausted, whereupon the cock is opened to continue the supply.

A pipe, 0 connected with the pipe 0, conveys steam toward a suitable point opposite the cylinders F F, where it unites with two branches, a which are connected to the steamchests of said cylinders. Astop-cock, c ,operated by a hand-lever, 0 on the platform of the car, is provided on the pipe 0 for the purpose of letting on and shutting oif the supply of steam for the cylinders F F.

The branch pipes c are, by means of a pipe, h, connected to a reservoir, H, which receives the exhaust of the cylinder D by means of a pipe, 01, which receives compressed air from the pump E by means of a pipe, 0. Two pipes, E, are provided between the branches 0 and reservoir H, and have check-valves 0, whereby air is conducted from the branches to the reservoir, as will be explained.

A stop-cock, h, is provided on the pipe h, and between this cock and the branches 0 an air-friction device, 1, similar to that patented to me in 187 8, is provided. The pipes E are comparatively of much greater diameter than the passages in the device I, in order to allow the compressed air to freely pass into the reservoir H.

The stop-cock h is operated from the front platform of the car by means of a hand-lever,

]L2. The exhaust of the cylinders F is conducted by pipes f to an exhaust-tank, J, which is, by a pipe, j, connected with the air-supply pipe 6 of the air-pump E. The piston-rods f of the steam-cylinders F extend through both ends of the cylinders, and are secured in line by bearingsf fastened to the ends of the car. Opposite the driving-wheels B, which are provided with crank-pins b, the piston-rods f are provided with vertical yokes f in which the sliding bcarin gs I) of the crank-pins move up and down.

The valve-rods f of the steam-cylinders F are, by means of rocking shafts K, connected with links L, which are operated by means of eccentric rods Z and eccentrics M on the caraxles b of the driving-Wheels B. The links L are reversed by means of levers N on a shaft, n, and they are operated from the platform by a hand-lever, Z.

Operation: At the end station of the railroad the reservoirs G are charged with compressed air of considerable pressure-say three hundred and fifty pounds to the square inch. The water of the boiler G is heated, and when steam of a suitable pressure is obtained the car is ready to start. The operator now opens the air-cock g, whereby he sets the cylinder D and pump E in operation, thus filling the tank H with compressed air. After a sufficient amount of compressed air is found to be in the tank H the operator opens first the steamcock 0, and then the cock h, whereby steam and air are admitted to the branches 0 in opposite directions, the air being with great force driven through the device I and brought to a high temperature by means of the device I, and in this state is mingled with the steam, and thus mixed steam and air is now conducted by the branches 0 to the cylinders F, whereby the car is set in motion.

The exhaust of the cylinders F escapes by way of the pipes f to the tank J, which. discharges it under a reduced pressure into the air-supply pipe 6 by which it either passes to the air-pump E or out into the atmosphere. If the pump E is in action, the exhaust will pass into it, but if not in action will pass out at the open end of pipe 0 When the car is to be temporarily stopped the operator reverses the propelling mechanism by means of the lever Z. The impetus of the car causes it to continue its forward motion for a while, whereby the cylinders F are caused to draw out the contents of the tank J through the pipes f and to force them into the pipes 0 and thence through the pipes E and check-valves a into the tank H, for reuse. The car may again be started by moving the links of the engine to one of their extreme positions.

By opening the cocks 0 c g h more or less the supply of compressed air and steam can be regulated to any desired proportion; and by closing the cocks 0 or the cooks g h the propelling or pumping mechanisms can be worked either entirely by compressed air or by steam.

From the foregoing description and statement of operation of my invention it will be seen that I have applied compressed-air reservoirs, a steam-engine, a steam-boiler, and an air-supplying pump upon the same supporting-frame, and combined with these an equalizing or air-pressure-reducing cylinder and a working-tank and, further, that the several parts are so constructed and provided with pipes, cocks, and adjuncts that the high pressure of the air in the reservoirs can be employed first for working the equalizing or pressure-reducing cylinder D, and in this use of it it is caused to operate the pump E, and

thereby force fresh or external air, by means of the open pipe 0 into the working-tank H, and simultaneously with this the exhaust-air of the cylinder D will have become reduced in pressure from 350 to' about 40, which is the proper pressure for working the engines F F, and thus reduced it will enter the tank H, and from the tank H it passes to the point where the steam is mixed with it. The steam flowing from the boiler mixes with the air, and the two enter the cylinders or engines F F, and thus the power for propelling the car is obtained.

In the event of the high-pressure air in the reservoirs G G becoming exhausted to too great an extent, the steam can be used for assisting in working the pump, and the supply of air in the tank H can be augmented by drawing air into the pump E through pipe 0 and forcing it into the tank H under a pressure equal to that in the reservoirs Gr Gr.

There is a great advantage in using the reservoirs G charged with air at a high pressure and then reducing the pressure, as described, for by this means a very small boiler and furnace may be used, and the weight of the car will be greatly reduced. This, together with the provision made for keeping up a supply of compressed air in tank H for working the engines with either a greater proportion of air than steam, or vice versa, or with steam alone or air alone, accordingly as circumstances require, renders my propeller well adapted for the specialuse of propelling streetcars and other wheeled vehicles, while it will be found useful for driving machinery.

I claim- 1. In a propeller for street-cars, the combination of two cylinders, a boiler, and a compressed-air reservoir, whereby air and steam mixed outside the boiler are employed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with steamcylinders, a steam-boiler, and compressed-air reservoir, of an air-pump, E, and its cylinder 1), whereby air and steam mixed outside the boiler are employed and atmospheric air is supplied to the apparatus during the travel of the car, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the cylinder D, exhaust-pipe d, and reservoir H, whereby the exhaust-air and steam are stored for use in cylinders F in propelling the ear, substantially as described.

4. The connecting-pipes E and check-valves 6 between the branches 0 and the tank H, whereby air forced back into the branches 0 from the cylinders F by the momentum of the car gains an easy admission into the tank H, substaiitially as set forth.

5. The combination of the steam-pipes c, air-pipe g, cocks c g, and pump-operating cylinder D, whereby the said cylinder may be worked either by steam or by compressed air, or by both together in any desired proportion, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the steam -pipe a,

cock 0, air-pipe h, cock h, and cylinders I whereby said cylinders can be used either with steam or with compressed air, or with both combined in any desired proportion, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. The combination of the propelling mechanism, consisting of cylinders F, with their respective driving, valve, and reversing connections, reservoirs O, tanks H J and their connections, and steam and air conducting, regulating, and mingling devices, substantially as and for the purpose described.

HEZEKIAH E. DEPP.

YVitnesses:

O. A. CRANDALL, JAooB B. JoNEs. 

